Spanish colonial period When the Spanish
conquistadors together with the
Augustinians stationed at
Bay came to the place in 1571, this colony was under the leadership of Gat Paquil whose name was used to name the settlement as "Paquil", which remained during the whole Spanish Regime and early part of the American period. When the
Franciscan missionaries came in 1578, Pakil was attached to
Paete in 1602 as its "visita". Padre Francisco Barajas, made efforts to separate this town from
Paete, and Don Diego Jorge became the first Capitan Municipal or Gobernadorcillo on May 12, 1676. Pakil was named as an independent town with the administration of the "Capitan Municipal" at the helm of the local colonial government, the last of whom was Capitan Municipal Don Nicolas Regalado.
American colonial period With the change of government from the
Spanish to
Philippine, and eventually
American after the total occupation of the Philippines by the
United States after the defeat of the
Philippine Republican Army in the
Philippine–American War of 1898–1900, the Americans had to reorganize the pattern of the Civil Government in the country in 1901. It was Bernardo Gonzales was appointed the first
Presidente Municipal (Municipal President) during the American Period until November 25, 1903. Upon the reorganization, the Public Law No. 1009, of the Philippine Commission, the town of Pakil was merged with Pangil in order to reduce the number of existing towns where the smaller towns are merged with more secure towns to stabilize the local economy due to the damages of the previous war. After nineteen years, On October 1, 1927, by virtue of Executive Order No. 77, Pakil was re-established as a municipality, with its spelling changed from Paquil to Pakil.
World War II and Japanese occupation In 1942, the Japanese troops occupied Pakil, and in 1945, Pakil was liberated by the
Philippine Commonwealth forces after the
Philippine Army and
Philippine Constabulary entered the town along with the local recognized guerrillas against the Japanese forces during the
Second World War.
Modern era In 1954, the sitios known as Casa Real, Casinsin and Kabulusan were converted into barrios. Durado followed suit in 1957. ==Geography==